RPower switches on first unit of Sasan

Mumbai, March 11: Reliance Power (RPower) today said the first 660 megawatt (MW) unit of its Sasan mega project had been commissioned.

This will be the first integrated coal mine and super-critical power plant to be commissioned in the country and the largest such project in the world.

The electricity generated will be sold to 14 distribution companies in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and benefit around 35 crore people. The electricity will be sold at Rs 1.196 per unit.

The project, located in Madhya Pradesh, required an investment of over Rs 23,000 crore. This is RPower’s first mega project to start commercial operations and was awarded to the company in 2007. It will start selling power from the next fortnight.

“The successful implementation of the Sasan UMPP (ultra mega power project) is a clear demonstration of the execution capabilities of Reliance — the ability to build large power and coal mine projects ahead of schedule,” chief executive officer J.P. Chalasani said.

Company sources said the first phase had been commissioned ahead of the May 2013 schedule. They added that the remaining five units would be synchronised every quarter and all of them would start generation ahead of schedule.

According to RPower, coal production has started from the Moher and Moher-Amlohri mines. The Chhatrasal coal block (near the project) has also received forest clearance and is under development.

Shares of RPower today closed at Rs 75.70, up 0.73 per cent from the previous close of Rs 75.15 on the NSE.

Meanwhile, Indiabulls Power — the flagship company of Indiabulls Group — today said it had successfully synchronised the first unit (270MW) of its 1350MW Amravati Phase I power plant in Maharashtra with the western grid.

Power from the plant is proposed to be supplied to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited under the power purchase agreement inked for 25 years.

Indiabulls Power is setting up two power projects totaling 5,400MW at Amravati and Nashik in Maharashtra.